Last Updated: Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 at 6:21 PM 

Late registration is now open (no additional cost). Enrollment caps are set for all age groups and we will continue to take players until every spot is filled, at which time a Waitlist is automatically activated. The office is still closed and FYSA is busy working on getting the season organized and will communicate updates to participants in the next week or so'.

If you need to get in touch with us please email us at [email protected]

 
   

Register today to play in a summer adult soccer league with FYSA!

At FYSA's January 2019 Annual Membership Meeting, our Bylaws involving the stated purpose of Fairbanks Youth Soccer were updated as follows:

Bylaw 102 – PURPOSE (emphasis added)
102.1 - The primary purpose of this association shall be for the education of individuals interested in the game of soccer, and for its promotion, and administration for players under nineteen years of age within the Fairbanks area.
102.2 - The secondary purpose of this Association shall be the same as referenced above, but for players nineteen years of age and older. This secondary purpose shall be to enhance efforts in fulfilling the Association’s primary purpose and shall not take precedence over, nor detract from said primary purpose.

With that, FYSA entered a new era for itself with managing adult soccer activities in the Fairbanks region. Adult soccer programs are a great way to provide opportunities for older youth looking for a higher level of play, to keep individuals playing the game when they otherwise may have 'aged out', to provide chances for those who played when they were younger to get back on the field, and for those adult soccer lovers to have connection with a youth program and potentially give back through volunteering.

We are excited to have adult soccer managed under the FYSA umbrella. Many things are similar to past adult league parameters, but many other things are changed to better align with this primary/secondary purpose of FYSA concept as outlined above. Here we will list a variety of relevant information pertaining to adult league program options. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or 907-456-3972

There are FIVE separate adult soccer divisions, each a little different from the rest. All divisions will have a minimum of 9 weeks of games. See the chart below for weekly structure. Registration for the summer season will close after Monday, May 3rd so teams and schedules can be formed. Late registration will open shortly thereafter and remain available until all available spots are filled. Teams wishing to join late in this process may not have the option to do so. In other words, even if you are still working on gathering players, if you are positive you are fielding a team, make sure to get some registrations in before the deadline and let FYSA know your plans.

Tuesday Adult Co-ed Recreational 7v7 League - $90. This is a great, small-field format for those looking to enjoy the game with a low-key, fun environment. 10U size fields (approx. 60 yards long) are used, with teams playing 7v7 (including the goalie). This is a great entry-level division, but players with experience are always welcome. 40 minute halves. Skill levels will vary, but the recreational mindset and sportsmanship are the keys to fun in this division. Games will occur at either 6pm of 7:45pm.

Wednesday Women's Recreational 7v7 League - $90. Like the Tuesday co-ed recreational 7v7 division, this is another great entry-level option. Meant for those wanting a women-only soccer experience, also played on small fields with 7v7 format and 40 minute halves, unless players agree otherwise. All games will occur at 7:45pm.

Wednesday Adult Co-ed Competitive 11v11 League - $100. As far as co-ed division go, this is meant to be the highest level of gameplay during the week. 45 minute halves, full size fields, playing 11v11 with players who have a fair amount of soccer experience, will be a great option for some fun but high-level soccer. Games will occur at either 6pm or 7:45pm.

Thursday Men's Competitive 11v11 League - $100. This is meant to be the highest-level division of our adult program options. Played with full teams on a full field with 45 minute halves, this division will be for those with lots of soccer experience looking for competition. Games will occur at either 6pm or 7:45pm.

Friday Adult Co-ed Pick-Up Soccer League - $50. Some folks have a busy schedule. Friday may be the only chance to get out and run around and get some soccer juices flowing. Others may want to have the option to come and go as they please, without feeling like they're letting their team down in a weeknight division when they're not able to attend. Some people may be playing on other nights, can't get enough soccer and just need one more chance to play before the weekend hits. For all of these, Friday night league is the answer. The Friday division will actually be FREE for all who register IF they are already signed up for another division during the week. (See section regarding 'Discounts' below). However, individuals are also able to sign up and pay just for Fridays alone. The format will vary week to week depending on attendance. At a certain time each Friday night, players will form teams and select appropriate-sized fields based on preferences and what is best for those present. This is meant to be self-managed, however all players need to be registered with the league and the reversible maroon/silver FYSA jersey is the default uniform. Field times are TBD and will be communicated to all registrants before the beginning of the season. In 2020 we typically saw 6:30pm to 8:30pm as the usual window for Fridays.

Regarding 'Co-ed' divisions, this means exactly what it sounds like. Men and women playing together and against one another. Team formation is intended to ensure that both genders are represented on the same team. However, if desired, a team that wants to register as all female players in a co-ed division (ex. an older Eclipse Soccer Club girls team), may be permitted. Women's Recreational is for female players only. However, women who would like to participate in the Men's Competitive division are welcome to do so. When a division is listed as 'Co-ed', there are not specific parameters set, at this time, as to requirements for on-the-field gender ratios during games. Details such as this will be conveyed prior to the first games along with other division-specific notes.

Discounts and Incentives for Coaching.  Volunteer as a 'Head Coach' for any youth division and, if assigned to a team, you will receive a 50% refund of your registration fee either for yourself or if you have a child playing in the youth league. These will be issued after the start of the season. Applies only to 'Head Coach' role. Don't forget to register as a volunteer when asked during the registration process or see link at the bottom of this page. Discount will still be honored for those who come back & sign up to coach later on after registering. For questions about unique scenarios regarding this new volunteer incentive, contact FYSA.

Captains. In January 2020, the FYSA Board of Directors moved to create an 'Adult Program Committee' to specifically focus on the needs of adult soccer divisions within the league. Any individuals interested in participating in this body are invited to reach out to FYSA for more info. Going forward, while this committee will meet as much or as little as is deemed necessary, one major expectation is that we will hold a 'Captains Meeting' prior to the start of each season to go over any significant issues or parameters that need addressed and conveyed. It is vital that anyone fielding a team for the summer communicate intentions in advance to the league so that we may reach out at the appropriate time to coordinate this Captain's meeting. With games starting June 1st, our hope is for this to occur before the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Who Plays When?

Additional Schedule Notes. As FYSA's primary mission pertains to youth soccer programs, adult league game schedules will be set to ensure they don't conflict with the needs for youth matches. That means that some games may start later in the evening based on field/referee availability. Fridays times are TBD but can start earlier and go later due to no youth games taking place on those nights and the flexible nature of pick-up soccer plans. Certain weeks of the summer may involve black-out dates due to holidays or other special events taking place at the field complex.

All weeknight adult divisions are scheduled to begin June 1st and the season consists of 9 weeks of games. We will organize more weeks through August for those wishing to continue, coordinating with team captains to modify teams/fields as needed. Knowing that attendance may sometimes start to diminish in mid July, field layout plans have been made in advance for this summer to allow option for games to adjust down to 9v9 or even 7v7 as needed later in the season. Additionally, extra dates may be added if necessary for make-up games due to any scheduling issues (smoke/lightning cancellations, teams out of town on a scheduled game night, etc.)

Discounts. As you can see in the chart above, players can feasibly participate in more than one division. If you register for a 2nd (or more) division, the system will automatically apply a $50 discount during the checkout process. The Friday Pick-Up League is actually only $50 to register, which means that any player signed up on a weeknight team can register for Fridays completely for FREE (you still need to register for the division even though your order total will be zero at checkout). Youth who are also playing in an FYSA youth league (i.e. High School recreational divisions) will receive $50 off their first adult league registration since that technically will be their second program. Finally, there is a family discount of $10 off the second player if spouses or parent/child or siblings on the same account are registering for adult soccer programs.

Youth Playing in Adult Divisions. As referenced earlier, FYSA is managing adult soccer to enhance our mission to provide quality opportunities for older youth. Teens age 14 and up are welcome and encouraged to participate in an adult division, with parent/guardian approval (i.e. adult registers the youth player). Certain aspects of summer season plans are done specifically to allow youth to participate in the adult leagues, such as:

• High School Recreational divisions moving to play one game a week instead of two (with a drop in youth league registration price).
• Including a $50 discount for adult division registration for those registered for a youth division.
• Placing High School Recreational division game nights on days that will not conflict with available options for adult leagues.
• Arranging a variety of skill-level, field size and gameplay parameters among the adult divisions to provide options for high school players who are at different levels.
• Coordinating with USASA, United States Adult Soccer Association, to ensure coverage is extended to youth players in our adult programs. (Note: competitive club teams/players who are also registered with Alaska Youth Soccer need to make sure they have followed the instructions and guidelines for registered competitive youth playing in adult divisions to maintain their youth status with AYSA. Contact FYSA for more info).

Uniforms. All players on the same team need to wear the same colored jersey. FYSA has a standard reversible red/silver jersey that is meant to be used for all players, unless the entire team has their own matching jerseys. During registration, you will be asked about jersey size and purchase needs. New players or those that need a new jersey can add one to their order for $16 which will be usable for future seasons as well. Shorts and socks are also available for purchase through FYSA ($4 each) as well as shinguards ($10). Balls ($10) are available through FYSA. You can even purchase cleats through FYSA, click here for more info! All players should be wearing shinguards during league games. Failure to do so is at your own risk. 

No jewelry of any kind, including watches, shall be worn while playing soccer. This includes rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other piercings. Simply putting a piece of tape over a piece of metal does almost nothing to prevent possible injury. There are plenty of horrific images available (which we're inclined to not post here!) to illustrate potential damage to oneself or another player, that can be prevented by removing jewelry prior to soccer activities. While some may respond that new piercings can't be taken out otherwise the tissue might close, this is not the case for the short period of time a player is on the field. If there is a concern of this nature, a parent can help a player replace the piercing as soon as a player is subbed off the field and remove them before going back in. Just like other preventable injuries, no one who has had this happen to themselves would have thought it was possible that it would be a such a concern, until it was. It might be uncomfortable to remove and replace a piercing, but the potential for serious injury is of far more concern.  

Other Useful Registration Details. Every player registers individually. Players are welcome to form their own teams in advance, provided they meet the parameters of their division (i.e. creating a super team to dominate a recreational division is not appropriate). However, every player must register through the website. This is to ensure we have all relevant player information, for insurance coverage, for sportsmanship commitments and liability waivers, and to be in the loop in case any changes occur with schedules or rules. This also helps avoid a single individual having to pay for an entire team's registration and waiting to get reimbursed by his/her players. A Team Captain should register for that role here within our system and touch base with FYSA (more instructions in the confirmation email). Every Team Captain will be given a new ball as a game ball for the season, which they are welcome to keep. 

Solo Players! Don't have an existing team to play with? Have 1-2 friends you want to be paired with? No problem. Every player registers individually and part of that process involves you providing any name(s), players or specific team captain, that you're signing up to play with. We'll reach out if we have any questions about team placement, but the idea is that each division will include players registering deliberately in order to be paired together for a full team as well as teams that are made up of 'free agents' who register as a solo player or with just a couple friends they know (not a full teams worth). This is a great way to meet people and play soccer with both familiar and new faces.

Referees will be scheduled for any divisions where it is deemed appropriate to do so. Referees are to be respected, even when a call is not in a team's favor. Teams/players that do not abide by the authority of referees or league officials/administrators may be removed from participation, either temporarily or for the remainder of the season without refund of registration payments. This includes behavior on the field, during active play, as well as on-site before/after a match. Any player dismissed (red card) from a match, whether during active play or not, is to leave the facility. Refusal to do so may result in the match being terminated. If a game has been terminated by a referee, teams continuing to play are doing so at their own risk. Such gameplay would not be considered a sanctioned activity and any league insurance coverage is not extended. The need for more adults to step up and serve as referees in the Fairbanks soccer community is as dire as ever. For FYSA to continue to provide adult soccer programming, individuals are needed to answer the call. If you are interested in becoming a referee, please contact us for more information. Referees are not volunteers and are paid by the league for their time and effort. Training is provided at no cost and individuals can serve in whatever capacity they are comfortable with flexible scheduling.

Sportsmanship. During registration every player is required to accept a waiver that includes a commitment to good sportsmanship in addition to standard language for participation in sports leagues such as release of liability for risk of injury, privacy policies, etc. All players are expected to abide by principles of good sportsmanship, at all times, even if they feel wronged or disagree with a call by a referee or actions of an opponent. This applies to interactions with opponents, referees, spectators, league administrators as well as their own teammates. Failure to follow sportsmanship commitments may result in a player or entire team’s disciplinary action by the league. Those playing in more than one division (including youth) may have disciplinary actions that result from misconduct carry over into their other division. There are no rankings being kept or trophies to be awarded at the end of each season. We are all part of the same soccer community in one way or other and our goal is to keep that spirit of the game present in all our activities.

While there is a LOT of information contained here on this single page, it’s unlikely that we can answer every question or outline every detail. Feel free to contact FYSA for clarification on any information you find here or to ask specific questions that are not covered above. Email [email protected] or call 907-456-3972 and we’ll be happy to assist however we can.